Ingredient 1 of 5
Saw palmetto in Prostacor
Saw palmetto extract leads the Prostacor blend. The label names the part used, the berry, and a standard: 25% fatty acids.
On the label
The first line of the blend
"Saw Palmetto Extract (berry) (25% fatty acids)"
The label line reads "Saw Palmetto Extract (berry) (25% fatty acids)". It stands first of the 5, so it is the heaviest ingredient in the 351 mg blend.
The plant's Latin name is Serenoa repens. The National Institutes of Health keeps a fact sheet on it, quoted beside this text.
Research
What the published source says
Quoted from National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH).
Definite conclusions could not be reached about the effects of combinations of herbs that include saw palmetto.
We know enough to conclude that saw palmetto is probably not helpful for this purpose.
Saw palmetto is a small tree that grows to a height of 6 to 10 feet.
Its berries have been used for health purposes.
In the capsule
What that means for a capsule
The NIH conclusion covers saw palmetto taken alone, across 27 studies. Prostacor is a blend, and on blends the NIH adds that no firm conclusion could be reached.
The label does not print how many milligrams of the extract a capsule holds, so the capsule cannot be set against the doses used in those studies.
- Saw palmetto
- Beta-sitosterol
- Stinging nettle
- Pumpkin seed
- Lycopene
Order on the panel, heaviest first. One weight is printed for all five: 351 mg.
Safety
What federal health pages say about taking it
If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using any herbal product; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways.
Adverse effects are mild and infrequent; they may include digestive symptoms, dizziness, and headache.
Saw palmetto is well tolerated. It has been used safely in research studies for up to 3 years.
Questions
About saw palmetto in the capsule
Does saw palmetto help with urinary symptoms?
The NIH's complementary health center reviewed 27 studies and concluded that saw palmetto taken alone is "probably not helpful" for urinary symptoms linked to an enlarged prostate.
What are the side effects of saw palmetto?
The NIH fact sheet calls it well tolerated in studies lasting up to 3 years. It lists mild, infrequent effects: digestive symptoms, dizziness and headache.
Sources
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH): Saw Palmetto: Usefulness and Safety read 7 October 2026
General information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before you start a supplement.